


Secrets

by bendingwind



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Adoption, F/M, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-30
Updated: 2010-12-30
Packaged: 2017-11-06 00:24:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/412683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bendingwind/pseuds/bendingwind
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A farewell to a life that could never have worked.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Secrets

She was born on the planet Olakis Seventeen-Apple-Orion, on the northernmost continent, on Juun 12, 5091. According to her birth record, she was 53 centimeters long, weighed 3.67 kilograms, and was a human possessing only female sexual attributes. Her birth certificate was signed, stamped and entered into the records of the Universal Republic, and taken home by her proud new mothers the next day. Adoption was rare in a world with so much technology for the production of genetic imprints—children—but sometimes a baby got lucky.

***

Her mother stands in the gallery, windows mirrored so that she can’t be seen below, as the new parents come to receive their little girl. Her fingers touch the window, just lightly, as she watches the scene below.

“It’s for your own safety,” she whispers to the glass.

“So you didn’t intend on telling me even at the beginning.” The voice is cold with anger.

She freezes with sudden tension, fingers clenching into claws, but her voice is calm when she answers. “I never did. How did you find out?”

“Mutual acquaintance.”

“We do have several,” she says, more wistful than sarcastic. As their daughter disappears from sight (into a new life, a better one, she hopes) she turns to face him.

“Really, though, Jack?” she asks.

“The Doctor told me.”

“Oh,” she says, quietly, “I didn’t know he knew.”

“I’d tell you how, but—”

“Spoilers,” she finishes for him. “I know.”

“Why did you do it?” he asks, and his voice is somewhat gentler now as he watches her mourn.

“Selfishness. Cowardice. Maybe for the best—she’ll be safer without us. We’re hardly the most beloved individuals in the galaxy, hardly the best parents.”

“Probably the worst,” he agrees grimly.

“Will she be alright?” she asks, as if he could possibly know that. They wear matching vortex manipulators strapped around their wrists, remnants from their time together as Time Agents, but neither of them have been to this future yet.

“I’ll make sure of it,” he answers, and she believes him.


End file.
